Virgin Galactic denies report that it plans to build a spaceport in the Middle East

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Virgin Galactic is denying published reports that it plans to build a spaceport in the Middle East. A company spokeswoman told TradeArabia that a newspaper report to the contrary was false. The report said a spaceport would be built in Bahrain beginning in February. The company also denied reports that have spread across the Internet for months that it has plans to build a spaceport in Dubai, located in the United Arab Emirates. “Right now, we are concentrating on the spaceport, Spaceport America, which is to be based in New Mexico,” a Virgin Galactic spokeswoman was quoted as saying. Continue Reading

GOP official confirms staff changes

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Staff changes at the Republican Party of New Mexico have been confirmed by outgoing Communications Director Jonah Cohen. Cohen said former Executive Director Marta Kramer resigned “to spend more time with her family in California and Texas” and will be replaced by Chris Atencio, the state party’s political director. Storm Field, the party’s former field director, is now working for House Republicans and will be replaced by Matt Stackpole, who was the Victory 2006 72-hour director, Cohen said. Cohen said he is also leaving later this week to take a job as chair of a history department at a private high school in Las Vegas, Nev. “All of these changes were amicable and we’ve all remained good friends with Chairman Allen Wen,” Cohen said in an e-mail. Continue Reading

Details sketchy about apparent GOP staff shakeup

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Two weeks before the start of the 2007 Legislative session, there has been a major shakeup in the staff of the state Republican Party, but details are sketchy. Whitney Cheshire, a party activist who runs the blog The Wednesday Morning Quarterback, reported last week that state Party Director Marta Kramer and Communications Director Jonah Cohen are leaving and that former Field Director Storm Field resigned weeks ago. She reported that Political Director Chris Atencio is rumored to be filling in until a replacement for Kramer is found. I’ve been unable to reach any state party officials for comment, but House Minority Whip Dan Foley, R-Roswell, and Doña Ana County Republican Party Chair Sid Goddard both confirmed that something has happened. Neither knew enough to relay most of the details. Continue Reading

Former worker sues 911 center, claims she was fired for complaining about political activity

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A former Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority employee is suing the agency, claming she was fired for complaining about political campaigning by the agency’s former director. Sylvia Smith was placed on leave a year ago and fired in March. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in December, she said she was fired after employees complained about her management. Her firing notice cited her admission in 2003 to using marijuana, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News. But Smith contends she was fired because she complained to the agency board about former Director Sam Palm using MVRDA time and manpower to campaign for a legislative seat. Continue Reading

The big inauguration question: Two years or four?

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As Gov. Bill Richardson began his second term Monday, the big question was whether he’ll serve for two or four more years. You can read the nuts and bolts about Richardson’s inauguration by clicking here and the text of his remarks by clicking here. The reality is that everyone expects Richardson to announce sometime in the next two weeks that he is running for president. He’ll likely work very hard to be governor of New Mexico for only two more years. And, as noted by Steve Terrell of the Santa Fe New Mexican in an analysis piece published today, the phrase “the long haul” – spoken seven times by Richardson during his 2003 inaugural address – was absent from Monday’s remarks. Continue Reading

Richardson won’t be Democrats’ presidential nominee, those who vote in non-scientific poll say

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Most who voted in the last non-scientific poll on this site don’t believe Gov. Bill Richardson will be the Democrats’ presidential nominee in 2008.Of 210 voters, 147, or 70 percent, said Richardson won’t be the nominee, while 63, or 30 percent, said he will.Don’t forget to vote in this week’s poll, located at the top of the right column on this page. Continue Reading

Happy holidays!

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I’m planning to take a few days off to celebrate Christmas and the New Year. If there’s any breaking news while I’m planning to be off, I’ll try to post an update or two but, otherwise, you won’t hear from me again until Jan. 2. If you think there is news I should cover, send me an e-mail at heath@haussamen.com. Happy holidays! Continue Reading

Scandal, Richardson’s influence shaped 2006

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In New Mexico, 2006 will be remembered for two things politically – widespread scandal in both parties and at all levels of government, and the impressive influence of Gov. Bill Richardson, who raised a record amount of money, won re-election by a record margin, and somehow managed to control state policy, avoid direct implication in scandal and campaign for other candidates across the nation at the same time. In compiling this list of the top 10 political stories of the year, I had to consider statewide issues and topics local to Doña Ana County. With that in mind, here’s my list of the state’s top 10 political stories of 2006 from a Doña Ana County perspective. Feel free to agree, disagree or add your thoughts by submitting comments at the end of this posting. 10. Continue Reading

LCPS seeks input on superintendent search

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The Las Cruces Public Schools Board of Education is seeking input on how to proceed with its search for an interim superintendent. Meanwhile, the appeal hearing for Sonia Diaz, who was fired several weeks ago from her job as superintendent, has been set for Jan. 17. The hearing will be closed to the public, unless Diaz requests that it be open. All three options being considered for the process to select an interim superintendent involve significant input from an advisory committee; however, the degree of that involvement and the speed of the process vary depending on the option selected. Continue Reading

Civil engineer Karen Perez brings knowledge, common sense to county commission

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Karen Perez’s résumé made her a strong candidate for the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners. She has bachelor’s degrees in political science and agricultural engineering and a master’s degree in civil engineering. She is fluent in Spanish and English and also speaks some Russian, Arabic and Japanese. She spent time in the Peace Corps building water systems in Ecuador and Honduras, then came to New Mexico State University to become an engineer. For the past 14 years, she has been designing and overseeing construction of water systems in Doña Ana County and has worked intimately with county government. Continue Reading

Nevada Democrat wants Richardson in 2008

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A former aide to incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada wants Gov. Bill Richardson to launch a presidential campaign in that state. Richardson has said he’ll make the announcement – should he make it – in New Mexico. He says it will come – should it come – in January. Reynaldo Martinez says he’ll lead a committee of 70 people to push for Richardson in that state, which holds a caucus in January 2008, according to the Associated Press. He said his list of supporters includes blacks, Hispanics, Asian-Americans, environmentalists and “significant Democratic Party activists,” the news service reported. Continue Reading

Big Bill gets some presidential help from Santa

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Jay Miller’s planned Christmas Day column is a play on the classic poem “The Night Before Christmas” in which Gov. Bill Richardson laments his low poll numbers among 2008 Democratic presidential hopefuls but ends up with quite a gift from Santa to aid his White House bid. The poem begins with these lines: “Twas the night before Christmas at the governor’s mansion when Bill began fretting about losing traction,” it reads. “I’m stuck at just two percent in the polls. That’s not going to get me on many talk shows.” In the poem, Richardson complains that he’s accomplished all sorts of international feats, but he isn’t gaining ground in the polls. He frets for awhile, then gives up and lays down to sleep. Continue Reading